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Welcome to Our Blog

Are You Ready to Listen?

August 31, 2020 Heather Rodman, Literacy Trainer

As literacy coaches, we want to build relationships, empower teachers, and foster collaborative learning environments. So why do we often end up listening to respond instead of listening to understand?

Coaching in Challenging Times

August 26, 2020 Cathy Toll, Lead Consultant, Partnering to Learn, Menasha, WI

Savvy coaches see every interaction as a chance to build trust and “grow” a partnership.

Tags: Coaching

Keys to Assuring a Standardized Comprehension Conversation with the Benchmark Assessment System

August 5, 2020 Irene Fountas, Director

As you use the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, consider these suggestions.

Tags: Intervention

The Softer Side of School Improvement

July 28, 2020 Wendy Vaulton, Assistant Director of Research

Soft data is a powerhouse for improvement because it gives an authentic, real-time look at what educators and students understand and can do.

Remote Learning: Communicating with Parents & Caregivers

July 22, 2020 Cindy Downend, Assistant Director, Literacy Programs

Communicating clearly and concisely about the supports parents and caregivers can provide to children is key.

Tags: Teaching

Choose Wisely! Qualities and Dispositions of a Literacy Coach & Teacher Leader

July 16, 2020 Cindy Downend, Assistant Director, Literacy Programs

Identifying an educator to train as a literacy coach is among one of the most important decisions a building principal has to make.

Text Levels – Tool or Trouble?

July 9, 2020 Irene Fountas, Director

Highly effective teaching provides a range of opportunities with different texts for different purposes.

Tags: Teaching

Fostering Identity and Community Through Storytelling

July 8, 2020 Courtney Varner, Literacy Trainer

Storytelling is a powerful instructional tool in our classrooms. Storytelling acknowledges students for who they are and provides space for students to share their experiences in the world.

Get to Know Your Students in a Surprising Way

June 15, 2020 Author: Jillian Fountain

With an unpredictable start to the school year ahead, one thing’s for sure: you are preparing for all eventualities and thinking about what you will do to welcome your students.

Assuring Access and Equity in Early Childhood: Harnessing the Power of Diversity

June 2, 2020 Author: Irene Fountas, Director

It is our collective responsibility to continue to advocate for early childhood classrooms. These environments assure the opportunities for children to experience the imagination, wonder, and joy of childhood and develop the confidence and agency that every child deserves.

Upcoming Professional Development

July 13 – September 6, 2026 (Summer Term II)

Effective Reading Instruction: Community & Practice, K-8

This 8-week, online course will teach the rationales and organizational components of classroom reading instruction. You will examine effective instructional practices and strategies to strengthen reading development for a wide range of readers, including multilingual learners.

$2,895 ($915/credit + $50/credit comprehensive fee) + required texts
July 13-16, 2026

Building Deep Thinkers Through Reading: Engaging Students in Robust Comprehension

Let’s teach readers to think deeply. Join us to explore robust comprehension as an active, layered, and dynamic process to synthesize ideas, make inferences, and critique texts – not just recall facts.

$895 (includes professional text)
July 1-2, 2026

Wondrous Words: Igniting Children’s Passion, Purpose, and Skills for Writing

Join us for this two-day, hands-on workshop where you’ll strengthen your ability to read like a writer and learn how to use mentor texts to help students expand their repertoire of craft moves, grow their identities as writers, and deepen their understanding of writing as a meaningful act.

$595 (Text Included)

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